Emilda and her family get together on a Saturday afternoon before heading to the beach to receive the fish in San Juanico, Baja California, Mexico, January 2021. Emilda lives with her daughters and grandchildren. She comes from a long lineage of fisherman, but she hopes for something different for the future of her grandchildren. Living off what the land provides us is not sustainable anymore, she said.

An abandoned house in San Jose de Gracia, Baja California, Mexico, July 2021. The population of San Jose de Gracia has been decreasing since the last decades. A recent census shows how in the past 15 years it has lost 51 members of the community resulting in no younger generation to carry forward the traditions. Many houses have been abandoned, left to deteriorate into the landscape.

Joli stands next to her daughter, Dalma, at their ranch in San Juanico, Baja California, Mexico, January, 2022. Joli splits her days as a mom and working at the ranch. Because of the current drought, and the lack of water she hasn't been able to produce cheese because the goats are not producing milk. Instead she has found other ways of making a living by making soap and sewing.

Alejo Romero stands next to a water hole close to his ranch, San Cosme, Baja California, Mexico, February 2022. At the age of eight Alejo used to ride a horse by himself to collect water from this water hole in buckets for his family. The water used to flow through the stone wall. Today the water comes and goes with the rain. He says if they don't get any rain before the summer, the water will all be gone.

A reflection of Enrique's hand, San Jose de Gracia, Baja California, Mexico, February 2022. Enrique, 38, moved to the community two years ago with the hope to start a small clinic. His dad was born and raised in the community and is now teaching him about all the medicinal plants in the area.

All the young families migrated away from the community leaving empty classrooms and abandoned houses, San Jose de Gracia, Baja California, Mexico, July 2021. The future of the younger generation is uncertain, pushing them to migrate to other cities, and even countries, finding new ways of life.

Dalma and Gerardo lay over the water tank, San Juanico, Baja California, Mexico, February 2022. The water is used to feed the plants and the animals. The ranch has a well of 60 meters that feeds the closest town approximately eight kilometers away. Because of the lack of water, all new water contracts are on pause in the town until a new well is dug.

Felipe and Olga, have been experiencing a big change in their life in their home of San Juanico, Baja California, Mexico, January 2021. What once was a quiet life full of rich fish is now a struggle to make a living. “There are no more fish,” Felipe says. Migration has already impacted many people in Central America. Because Baja California is a borderland, it is expected that increased border stress between Mexico and the United States will be felt due to the severe effects of climate change in parts of Central America.

Chuy Rojas holds a piece of guaco in Rancho El Paraje, Baja California, Mexico, December, 2020. The native plant grows in the hills of the desert. They have been relying on this herb during the Covid-19 pandemic. Because of the drought, a lot of the herbs have been drying out, resulting in immense pressure for the ranchers that rely on these native plants to feed their animals, or to use as medicine and food. I asked Chuy if he thinks his kids and grandchildren will hold the same knowledge as he does, and his answer was no.

Crecencia was born, raised and had her own children in the community that once was her home, San Jose de Gracia, Baja California, Mexico, July 2021. She moved away from the community to raise her own children, but in the Covid-19 pandemic she recently moved back to the community. Her knowledge for the area, especially the herbs and plants is irreplaceable. She wonders what will happen to the place once she dies and there is no younger generation to pass the land along to.

Dalma claims that she has no memory of seeing the water run through the arroyo seco ever before, San Juanico, Baja California, Mexico, January 2022. Joli, Dalma's mom shared that the last time water ran through the arroyo was seven years ago.

A dead cow its found a few kilometers away from Cadeje, where only a few residents are left living in the town, Baja California, Mexico, January 2022. Many of the ranchers have lost a majority of their animals as a consequence of the lack of rain. Some are abandoning their ranches and history just to survive.

Without the rain, there is almost no wild food left for the ranch animals, San Juanico, Baja California, Mexico, January 2022. The cows forage anything including cardons, the tallest cactus in the world. Today the cactus is protected and is prohibited to harvest. The cactus is still used for medicinal properties, for example, a part of the cactus was applied to Joli's husband's finger after being chopped by a sharp tool, resulting in his finger becoming whole again.

Rumaldo harvested a pumpkin in San Jose de Gracia, Baja California, Mexico, January 2022. He is the only one left in the community that dedicates most of his time to cultivate and harvest foods like they used to do in the past. He was born and raised in the community, but he is hoping to move to his own ranch in the near future.

Alejo Romero, rides his horse in the landscape where he was born and raised, San Cosme, Baja California, Mexico, February 2022. Alejo was born in a ranch on the other side of the mountain where most of the food and water was gathered from the area. Today the water is trucked from the closest city, about 100 kilometers away, and a lot of the vegetation is prohibited to harvest for conservation purposes.

The kids cemetery in San Jose de Gracia, Baja California, Mexico, January, 2021. The small community has at least four different cemeteries generationally identified. For vulnerable communities like this one, the risk to their members is the decreasing ability to sustain a living off the land as climate change continues to impress what seems like irreversible change in Baja California, Mexico.

An empty net lays on the beach, San Juanico, Baja California, Mexico, February 2022.

Juana cooking octopus, San Jose de Gracia, Baja California, Mexico, February 2022. At 73 years old she claims the community it’s her favorite place to be. Her biggest worry is what will happen with the place when all the community members pass away.

Gerardo, Dalma and Joli having a laugh at the ranch in San Juanico, Baja California, Mexico, February 2022. Joli grew up on a ranch a few kilometers away, and she still loves the quiet and the lifestyle of a rancher. Her duties have been adjusted by the lack of rain and the inability to produce cheese, one of her main sources of income. With no water, the goats don’t produce milk.

Morning light over an abandoned house in San Jose de Gracia, Baja California, Mexico, February 2022.

Juana keeps warm in her house in San Jose de Gracia, Baja California, Mexico, January 2022. “It was never this cold in the winter,” she said. The community have all been claiming the unusual temperatures that they have had.

A portrait of Miguel Murillo, in the land where he was born and still lives, San Jose de Gracia, Baja California, Mexico, January, 2021. From 2006 to today, the community has lost approximately 60 members and has a population of 21 today. Miguel is leading the harvest of the mango crop, weaving old techniques in with his hope that mango production will revive the community by attracting more people.